Day 5 - The Final Frontier
Well the day has finally arrived, spent a while last night going over the questions you get asked at the start of the test with the missus, who I have to say has been fantastic at supporting me with doing this and I love her to bits.
Wake up at about 10ish, and think oh man its the test day, spend a bit of time browsing the TruckNet forums, then at 11.30, I set off to meet Phil at the test centre.
Typical, the only day this week it rains, and its test day.
Arrive to the bad news that Aldy failed his test this morning, he put the truck in reverse instead of first when doing the gear change exersise which is a serious fault apparently. I am gutted for him.
We set off for a hour or so drive before the test, I am confident with my ability, and only seem to have trouble with hesitation at roundabouts, mainly one in Norwich that has 5 exits on it, but hesitation is not a bad thing imo, just something that comes with experience.
I have a good session and I am ready for my test, we arrive back at 2pm, we go over to the little office (which I swear is designed to make you more nervous) and wait for my examiner.
My examiner is Tony and its his final ever test as he is retiring after 12 years of tests on HGVs, we worked out that he has done roughly 39000 tests, he told me then that he is still waiting for his first pass ![:wink: :wink:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/wink.png?v=12)
I answered the questions correctly, thanks to the help from the missus, completed the reversing exercise, although I had thought I had ballsed it up when I was coming in at the wrong angle, but sorted it out, he told me not to get out of the cab as it was spot on.
After the braking test, we set off on our journey around the city, I am obsessed with my mirrors, checking them probably every 5 seconds, of all the routes that we have practised, he chose my favourite one which takes us out into the countryside, I got all the roundabouts perfectly, and completed my downhill start and gear change exercise with no problems.
Its end of school time at the small village we go through and there is cars everywhere, but I managed to navigate them with ease, we then came to the hill start exersise, I pulled up on the left and did all the preparations correctly, then watching my mirrors I signalled and watched as car after car came by, then one stopped signalling and appeared to move back in behind me so I started to go, only for the driver to floor it and come around me, I jumped on the brakes and put the parking brake on thinking oh ā ā ā ā , the next car is kind and flashes me out, so I then pull away with no problems.
We continue back towards the test centre, going down quite narrow roads where you have to slow down when other HGVs come past, work our way back through the ring road in the city and back to the test centre.
We pull up and I am sitting there thinking oh ā ā ā ā the only thing I could think I made a mistake on was the hill start.
"Jon,ā¦
I am pleased to tell you that you have passed your test."
HURRAH, I sighed and leant back in the chair. I asked how many faults I had made, and he told me that I had not made a single fault.
As it was Tonys last test, he got my examiner to take our photograph in front of the truck with my certificate.
So what did we learn today?
- Have confidence in your own abilities and you can not fail.
- My cat that has a fractured hip after getting hit by a car and is in a cage for 4 weeks bed rest, is going to spend more time behind bars than Paris Hilton.
- I have gradually got better over the week, which is how its supposed to work.
- I now have a Class C license.
- The heated front windscreen in my car makes the crack grow when I switch it on.
I can also reveal that Aldy, is actually Alan.
Also my diary titles where based upon the names of Star Trek Films.
Happy Driving everyone.